A Thousand Maqueraders
by Marius Creb
Summary: Twenty six years have pasted since Sarah visited the Labyrinth, and now she must go back. When she is reunited with Jareth, she cannot help but fall in love. Now she is faced with a choice: remain with her family, or rule the goblin city at Jareth's side.
1. Spark in the Dark

"Kenneth, I miss you," Sarah sighed, stroking the framed wedding picture on her night stand. Kenneth–her husband of two years–was spending the week in New York City to promote his new novel and visit his publishers. He would be back in two or three days, but for Sarah it was like an eternity.

"It sure looks like you need us now," said the familiar voice that came from the vanity mirror.

Sarah smiled. It had been a while since she'd seen her friends from the labyrinth. Her husband didn't know about them, though she wanted him to meet them.

"You're right, Hoggle," she said despondently, "I could definitely use some company."

When she turned around, the stout little goblin man was sitting on her pillow and offering the accustomed grin.

"How is life in the labyrinth these days?" Sarah inquired.

"Unpredictable, like always," Hoggle replied, "Ever since you left, Jareth just hasn't been his vicious self. The labyrinth is actually a peaceful place...well, for the most part anyway. There's still a few fireys causing trouble."

Sarah chuckled as she remembered how the bird-like creatures tried to see if her head would come off. "Oh, Hoggle," she said contentedly, "you're my best friend " She trapped him in a warm embrace. "How long are you staying?"

"Until you fall asleep, Sarah," he promised.

And he did just that. Sarah awoke later that night when she heard something at her window. It was something tapping, like a bird or a rather large insect trying to get inside. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she tried to recognize where she was. Her first reaction was to reach over and touch Kenneth's shoulder, but there was nothing in his place. That's when she remembered she was alone. She didn't know why, but somehow that made her a little more afraid.

She gingerly stepped out of bed and slowly walked toward the window. A spark of recognition went up in her brain when she saw a white and tan barn owl trying to force its way into her room. This has to be a dream, she thought. Realizing this, she opened the window and let the owl in. Once he was inside, he transformed into a far more menacing apparition.

"Sarah, you haven't aged a day," the goblin king said sincerely.

"Nor have you,"Sarah said softly.

"Not in any way that you can see," Jareth retorted. "Why did you do it? Why did you toy with my emotions, knowing how I felt for you? How did you know you were special? How did you know I would never hurt you?" The once fearsome king was befuddled.  
"Jareth," she whispered, "I didn't know anything. I was just arrogant and lucky." _Why can't I wake up?_

His diminutive fingers were searching her face, looking for a smile or a frown that the darkness did not betray. When they found her mouth, he felt the warm breath coming from between her lips. _She's short of breath,_ he thought to himself with satisfaction.

He cupped her face with his other hand and advanced closer. "Sarah, you know you love me," he said in that alluring way of his. Sarah tensed. She did, but how could he tell? Was he reading her mind, or was it just that obvious? _No,_ she screamed internally, _I love Kenneth! I want to wake up! I want..._

"Of course I do," were the words her mouth formed, but those her mind formed were _No! What am I doing? But if it's just a dream, then maybe..._

Sarah felt her nightgown press into her back as she was pushed closer to the wall. Jareth's right hand snaked its way behind her head into her hair, and he planted a soft kiss on her lips. He was much too close.

"Then why are you still running away?" he asked.

He was immensely pleased when she kissed him back. This kiss was one of invitation. "I thought you enjoyed chasing me."

"Now you're finally starting to understand," he smirked. He returned her invitation with a series of stronger, hungrier kisses. Sarah knew it was a dream, but it felt so real. Jareth left Sarah's mouth for the moment and started burying his lips into her neck.

"Do you want to continue this some place where you'll be more comfortable?" he asked politely. Sarah nodded tentatively.

"I thought so," he said.

"Jareth, this is all happening too fast. You're so persistent," Sarah pleaded.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Sarah, but when you've waited for something as long as I've waited for this..." He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. "I don't mean to overwhelm you. I've waited this long, and an hour or two more won't do much difference."

He reclined next to her on the mattress and enfolded her in his arms. "Can I at least hold you for a while?" he inquired innocently. Sarah made no protest. He snuggled next to her and sighed.

"I've thought of you every hour of every day that we've been apart. I don't think you realize how much I love you," he said.  
Sarah allowed herself to become fully enveloped. Somehow, she felt as though when she woke she would still be dreaming. It was too good to be true. This was the man she'd wanted for all of her adult life. She even married her husband (subconsciously at best) because he reminded her of Jareth. They looked, talked, and acted alike. Now that she was with her king once more–even if it wasn't real–was the most amazing thing that had happened to her since her first visit to the labyrinth when she was tender fourteen-year-old girl.

This is comfortable, Sarah thought, I could fall asleep this way. She knew Jareth wouldn't allow it. He wanted much more... She rolled on her side, lying on the edge of the bed and staring at the floor. What kind of dream was this? It had to be a dream... The Jareth Sarah knew before could never be so compassionate. Yet even in his compassion, he was impatient and selfish.

"You're so beautiful," Jareth cued. His voice breaking the silence made Sarah jolt. "Shall I describe you? I'm in awe and admiration of your slender waist, your smooth fair skin, your lovely dark hair that feels like silk..." He touched every part of her body as he spoke of it, caressing her torso, stroking her arm, and seductively tugging her hair. He embraced her upper body, trapping her arms. "How much longer are you going to make me wait?"

She turned back to face him and gave him an emotional kiss. "The wait is over," she said as though she was a succubus in Jareth's dreams, rather than he being the incubus of hers. Without a moment's hesitation, Jareth smiled and claimed the treasure he'd always wanted, making his dreams as well as Sarah's come true.

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A/N: Okay, so there is much to be said. First of all, I replaced this chapter not just because I found it too explicit for this website, but because I felt that I had written it poorly. Second, I haven't updated this story in almost three years, and the eigth chapter still isn't finished, so I thought a minor update would be better than nothing. However, I still have every intention of finishing this story. The only problem is I've written myself into a corner, so to speak. I knew exactly how I wanted this story to end when I began it three years ago, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike the unrealistically happy ending I'd planned. I could really use your help and feedback with this. As you read, if you come up with ANY ideas for how you'd like this story to end or if there is anything you'd like to see happen, PLEASE do not hesitate to tell me, and I will consider all of your input. Thanks in advance.

~Marius C.


	2. Bed of Nails

1Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm. **WARNING:**There is an OC in this chapter.

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Chapter Two: Bed of Nails

Juliet sat at the edge of her bed reading _The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights_ by John Steinbeck as she heard her mother's delicate footsteps in the corridor.

"My dad would have killed to have a son as neat as you when your uncle Toby was a kid," Sarah beamed. Juliet guessed her little brother Edward had cleaned his room again, even though they had a maid to do it for him. More barley audible words were heard, and then the footsteps began again and stopped at her door.

"Knock, knock," her father's voice sounded in place of actual civilized knocking. Sighing heavily, Juliet put her book down and opened her poster-clad bedroom door. Both of her parents stood behind the threshold, and both of them were exceedingly well groomed. She guessed they were going out...again.

"Julie, I hate to ask you this, but can you keep an eye on Eddy tonight?" Sarah asked gingerly.

"Do I have to?" she grumbled.

"Well, let's think about this logically. If your mother asks you to do something, usually you..." Kenneth didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

"I'm sorry, did you think I was speaking to you?" Juliet retorted.

"Young lady, if I were you, I wouldn't speak to my father that way!" Kenneth warned.

"That is the problem, you see. I am not you," Juliet pointed out.

"I can't handle this. That girl hates me! You talk to her," Kenneth told his wife. He casually walked away from the spoiled girl's room. The conversing of masculine voices that commenced when the footsteps stopped indicated that he was talking to Edward.

"Julie, I know how you feel. My parents made me watch my baby brother every weekend when I was your age, or maybe a little younger. That's why I hate to ask you. I tried to get your uncle Toby to come over, but it's his partner's birthday, and..."

"I understand, mum," the slim blonde girl assured her mother. "And I don't hate dad. He just annoys me."

"You really shouldn't be so hard on your father," Sarah said. "We both know he's a spoiled brat." Both of the women chuckled. "But you really are like your father. You are the spitting image of him."

"Except for the eyes," Juliet pointed out.

Sarah nodded. "You have one of mine and one of his."

Juliet gave her mother a pleading look that begged that she be spared the chore of baby-sitting Edward more efficiently than words could.

"Okay, I'll ask Rosie if she'll take a break from dusting the foyer," Sarah said. Rosie, their housemaid, wouldn't mind at all.

"Thanks, mum. You're the greatest," Juliet and Sarah hugged before Sarah trotted into Edward's room to fetch Kenneth. The old staircase creaked, the front door closed, the Porsche started, and her parents were on their way to wherever they were going that night.

Juliet's white sock covered feet padded across her bedroom floor to her bathroom. The frustrated sixteen-year-old girl looked into her mirror, resting her elbows on either side of the basin. She really did look like Kenneth. They had the same light blond hair, the same pale complection, the same slender bodies, the same nose, the same everything. The only difference was the fact that one of her eyes was ice blue while the other was brown. This made her the subject of a handful of jokes at her school. Kenneth's parents were from Great Britain, so he had a British accent. Growing up with the British dialects of her father and Rosie gave her a thin accent as well, but it was amazing how similar the tone of her voice was with her father's.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She and Edward were both uncommonly spoiled, and Juliet acted like it. As she studied herself in the mirror, she saw the golden Siouxsie Sioux hairdo, purple eyeshadow up to her eyebrows, thick black eyeliner, and chapped lips. Her cheekbones stood out like two cliffs on either side of her tallow face, and her chin was firm. Her neck was broken out from her metal necklaces; her skin had always been sensitive to metal. Her wrists were adorned with charm bracelets, and she wore a cat bell suspended by a black ribbon around her neck. Her nails were processionally done; they resembled chess boards. She wore a black lace baby doll top and artificially torn blue jeans with embroidered floral patterns around the pockets. Spoiled rich girl? Definitely.

"I knew it," she said, pretending the mirror had said she was the fairest. She was a dreamer, like her mother. In fact, Sarah had named her after the heroine from Shakespeare's tragedy. Truth be told, she had always felt a deep connection with her mother, and no connection what so ever with her father.

She went back into her room to find Edward sitting on her bed. Her eyes widened in fury.

"I thought Rosie was supposed to be watching you!" she sneered.

"She said I could play with you!" Edward whined. Edward looked like Sarah with his freckles, dark hair, dark eyes, and button nose. He had always been Juliet's primary pet peeve. _He's thirteen!_ She thought, _Why can't he act his age?_

"Well, I say you can't. Leave my room at once!"she barked.

"No! You can't make me!"

Juliet took that as a challenge. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and forcefully yanked him over the threshold, nearly choking him.

"My friends all have cool older sisters! Why did I have to get the bitch?" he complained.

Juliet fought the urge to strike him. If she did, Kenneth would hit her with twice as much force once he heard Edward's side of the story.

"Because I'm my father's daughter!" she said proudly before she slammed the door in Edward's face.

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"I can't take this anymore, Sarah! I can't control that girl!" Kenneth shouted.

"What do you expect me to do? I've never heard you speak to her with respect!" Sarah said in Juliet's defense. "It's funny, she almost reminds me of..."

"Reminds you of who?" Kenneth demanded.

"No one," Sarah said quickly. "Just a book character," she said once she calmed down.

"I will not house a daughter who bullies her little brother and disobeys her father at every opportunity. I say we send her to boarding school," Kenneth suggested.

"I simply won't allow it! There is nothing wrong with our daughter. Most of the inappropriate things she does are instigated by you or Ed," Sarah pointed out.

"How typical of you to blame the man, Sarah. You're so predictable. I'm quite bored with your responses to conflict," Kenneth said.

"Maintain your dignity, Ken. There is a limit of what I will hear from you," Sarah said.

"Stop trying to control this! I am the man of the house!" Kenneth shrieked.

"You think I'm predictable, do you?" Sarah said provocatively. "Predict this," she said before she backhanded him and strutted up the stairs to Juliet's room.

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"Can I come in?" Sarah asked her daughter innocently.

"Mum, is dad very angry?" Juliet inquired.

"Isn't he always?" Sarah said. "You know, he wants to send you to boarding school."

"I wouldn't be bothered by it. At least I wouldn't have to put up with him and Edward anymore," Juliet said thoughtfully.

The metaphoric lightbulb went off in Sarah's mind. "I'll be right back," she promised. Juliet judged she was running off to the room she shared with Kenneth. When she returned, there was a small, grubby red book in her hands.

"Read this," Sarah told her daughter, offering her the book. Juliet took it. The word "labyrinth" was written on the cover in silver letters.

"Great idea. Reading really is a good escape, but I'm already reading something," she said, pointing to Steinbeck's rendition of the King Arthur legend.

"No, this book is different. Once you read it, I think you'll understand," Sarah said before she exited the room.

_My home is like a bed of nails, _Juliet thought, _I have a place to sleep, but I have to be very careful not to let this place injure me._ She opened the book and began reading. The vocabulary of the book was rudimentary, and the print was large. It would take her two hours at the very most to read this. Her mother was right; though the book was elementary and below her reading level, there was something special about the world it created. When she finished, she held it with both hands and gaped at it.

"I wish the goblins would come take me away, right now," she sighed, not realizing the magic of the words she had spoken.

All the lights in her room suddenly went out, and it got colder. She heard a tapping at her window and noted the white and tan barn owl trying to force its way in. Frustrated, the creature broke through the glass. Once it was in her room, it gracefully took the form of a tall, thin, and very handsome man. A shadow stretched across her floor, sending with it a spray of silver glitter (which surrounded the man). The resemblance he had to her father was astounding.

"You're...you're..."

"The goblin king? I'm fully aware of that, my dear," he said smoothly.

"So, did you take me at my word? Have you come to take me away?" Juliet asked.

The goblin king chuckled. "I've never seen a girl so eager to visit the goblin city!"

"You don't understand what it's like here! If only you knew how desperate I am to get away," Juliet pleaded.

"At least you aren't fickle with your wishes, like your mother was," he said the words "your mother" dreamily, as if he was describing his favourite wine.

"You know my mother?" Juliet asked. She felt foolish as soon as she said it, for Sarah must have known. This was why she wanted her to read that book.

"Quite well, indeed," the slim man began looking the young girl over, circling her and observing her from every angle.

"What are you doing?" Juliet questioned.

"Hm...you have my eyes," he said. Juliet was taken aback when she noted that his eyes were indeed one blue and one brown, like her own. Somewhere in the back of her unconscious, Juliet was started to piece a puzzle together. He continued, "Well, you are your mother's daughter."

"What makes you say that? You're the first person I've heard that from," she said.

"You have a magnificent ass," Jareth answered.

"Excuse me?" Juliet said, shocked.

"Hm...no, I think you got that from me," he said, grinning widely.

"I beg your pardon?" Now everything was starting to make sense.

"Juliet, haven't you ever wondered why you never had any connection to the man who raised you, and why he never had any paternal warmth for you?" Jareth asked.

"I merely thought that was my father's way," Juliet said.

"Your father? Oh dear, what _has_ Sarah been telling you?" he said gravely.

"What do you mean?"

"Juliet, _I _am your father," Jareth said matter-of-factly.

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A/N: I know, I know. Juliet is a total Mary-Sue, but bear with me. The only chapters in which she has a majour part are the next one and chapter 7. Other than that, she's just a plot vehicle and a way to get Jareth and Sarah back together again. So, is anyone starting to figure out where the chapter titles are coming from?


	3. House of Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm.

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Chapter Three: House of Fire

"How is that possible?" Juliet questioned.

"Why don't I take you back to my castle and explain all of it?" Jareth said cooly. He pointed to her window.

When Juliet looked out of the window, it didn't show the same scenery that it usually did. Rather than looking down at the gardens that complimented the front door, she saw a winding, twisted maze in a desert-like setting. She knew this was the labyrinth.

"Come with me, my dear," he took her hand. Once they began walking, they were in the land of the labyrinth, and Jareth was leading her closer to it. He guided her down a steep hill and they passed a few patches of grass that were struggling to grow in the dry environment that was the outskirts of the goblin city.

"And here is the entrance," Jareth said as he pointed to an elaborate door with his outstretched hand.

Juliet took note of a small, stout man spraying fairies with a canister full of some kind of gas.

"Hogwart," Jareth said, trying to get the man's attention.

"It's Hoggle!"the dwarf shouted irritably before he realized whom he was shouting at. "Oh, your majesty," he said, embarrassment colouring his face.

"Hoggle, there is someone here I want you to meet," he gently ushered Juliet foreword and she tried to offer the small man a friendly smile.

"Oh, my. Who is she?" Hoggle asked.

"She is my daughter. I expect she will be treated with the upmost respect?" he said, giving Hoggle a look which indicated this was not a mere request.

"Of course, your highness!" Hoggle assured.

"Go back to...whatever it is you were doing. I believe my daughter would enjoy seeing the city of which she is princess?" Jareth said before he opened the door.

"Labyrinth, eh?" Juliet said skeptically after surveying the place from the doorway. "It's just parallel walls for as far as the eye can she." She had to trot to keep up with Jareth's long strides, which made the spiked heals of his boots click against the cobblestone floor.

"Only if you take it for granted," Jareth said. Juliet flinched as her father lead her through a brick wall, or at least that's what she thought he was doing. He was more taking her between two walls. He kept leading her down that same path, and again Juliet began to wonder why there were no turns or corners.

"It might be helpful for you to know that this is the fastest way to the castle," Jareth said.

He was not exaggerating. In only a few more paces, they were standing outside a maelstrom of a palace. It was not beautiful, nor was it humble. It was composed entirely from stone and there were no decorations or banners to make it seem more majestic. The entryway to the castle wasn't very magnificent either. There were no doors, just an entryway that immediately took them to a grubby throne room. Jareth led her up a winding stone staircase. At the summit of the stairwell, there was a wooden door on rusted hinges.

He opened the door and said, "This is your room. It's not much, but it is the most plush bed chamber in the castle, save mine." He was right; it wasn't much. The walls were made of stone, and so was the floor (which looked like it could use a sweeping). The only things that seemed to dress the room at all were dark rose curtains, a rug depicting the Labyrinth in the center of the floor, a full sized four poster bed, and a marble bathtub in the corner of the room.

"It's not what I'm accustomed to," Juliet said.

"I assumed not, but think about what kind of people live in this city," Jareth said. It made sense. From what she had read, Juliet never thought goblins would be very clean. "In comparison to the rest of the castle," he said thoughtfully, "it is fit for a princess."

Juliet cringed at the word. "Sir, if it's all the same to you, could you stop calling me a princess?" She had bitter memories of other girls at school mocking her for being spoiled by calling her such names. Maybe they were jealous, but Juliet didn't think it was fair. After all, it wasn't her fault that her parents were rich and didn't know how to say no when their eldest child wanted something.

Jareth laughed. "That's what you are. But if it bothers you, my dear, I will call you by the name your mother gave you on one condition. Please call me Dad, or at least Father."

Juliet nodded complacently.

"If you need anything, just look into this," Jareth said as he tossed her a crystal ball. "I would very much like it if you would dine with me later. I'll send servants up to fill your bath with hot water." With that, he left.

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Juliet exhaled a deep sigh. So much had happened in the past hour. If the hot bath water had not been so soothing, she might have cried. She couldn't be angry at Jareth for expecting her to accept so much so quickly, for what choice did he have? _She_ was the one that asked to be taken away, whether she actually expected anyone to or not. Even so, the recent events had put a lot of stress on the poor girl. She found out that the man who raised her was not really her father, and her real father was a book character from an alternate universe which turned out to be quite real indeed. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask Jareth at dinner. How long would he let her stay here? Did he want to see Sarah again? What was the nature of their relationship? Did he even love her mother at all?

Deciding she was clean, Juliet stepped out of the tub and took the shabby white cloth that had been left for her to dry herself with. The goblin servants had left her a dark purple dress on her bed, as they had taken her street clothes to wash. Had they not left the dress, she would have nothing to wear to dinner. She loosened the laces in the back and slipped the dress over her head. She reached behind her back to tighten the laces, but she couldn't quite reach them. After a small struggle, the dress fit comfortably.

No sooner than her laces were tied, there came a knock at the door. She swiftly crossed the room to answer it. There stood her father, clad in black leggings and a loose black shirt.

"You look beautiful, just like your parents," he said smiling. Juliet gathered from the fond comments he made about Sarah that he did indeed love her, which disputed her half theory about her conception being the product of a one-night-stand. He extended his hand. "Shall we?"

When Juliet took his hand, he brought hers to his lips and kissed her middle knuckle. Once again he led her through the staircase. At the base of the stairwell, they walked left down another austere corridor. Black double doors on the right side of the hall were opened from the inside by goblin servants. The dining room was elaborate compared to the rest of the castle. In the center of the room, there was a long dark wood table. Jareth sat down at the head of the table and he pointed to the seat on his left with his hand, indicating that he wanted Juliet to sit there. A servant pushed the chair in for her and yet another brought a bowl of hot soup.

Juliet looked at it quizzically. It didn't seem to be more than boiled potatoes and herbs floating in heated water. She took a sip, and to her surprise it was actually quite tasty. When she looked up, she noticed there was no bowl in front of her father.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" she inquired.

"I'm not really one for food. Candidly, I find eating to be a disgusting habit," he replied.

Juliet didn't know how to respond to her father accusing her of having disgusting habits.

Jareth added, "If the chefs have actually prepared a dish I would enjoy, I might choke down a little something."

After swallowing a spoonful of the seasoned water, Juliet asked, "How do you know my mother?"

"Ah, I knew one day I'd have to tell someone this story," he smiled. "Twenty-six years ago, when your mother was a young girl, her stepmother always requested that she watch her baby brother."

"She told me that part," Juliet said.

"I thought as much. One night, when she could stand him no more, she asked the goblins to take him away. When I arrived in her parents' room, I offered to let her come live with me where she would never have to lift a finger or do housework ever again. She was intrigued ,but...too damn responsible. She insisted that I give her brother back. So I made a deal with her. I promised to give her brother back if she could solve my labyrinth in thirteen hours. If she failed, her brother would become one of us and she would be my queen. As you may have guessed, she succeeded," he said.

"So where do I come into this story?" Juliet asked.

"After she left, I cursed myself for ever letting her get away. I kept thinking if I had been more compassionate or more gentle, then she would have stayed willingly. I couldn't get her out of my mind. I suffered in silence. I watched her go from man to man, and I waited for my turn to be with her. Then she met your goddamned father and the day of her wedding was the most painful day of my life. Two years later, your father was away...collaborating with his publishers, I believe. I seized my chance and paid her a visit. She thought the whole thing was just a dream, and she probably doesn't think much of it now."

"That makes sense. When my father got back, he and my mother probably..." A thought came that Juliet twitch. "Your encounter with her and my father's were close enough together that it was very possible that I could have been Kenneth's daughter."

"I can't believe the way that bastard treats you and Sarah!" he said furiously. "If it's the last thing I ever do, I will make him pay!"

"I've been saying the same thing every day of my life," Juliet said.

"The love that Sarah and I share is like a house of fire. It is safe for the people who dwell within it, but outsiders that try to intrude are punished by death...or at least horrible mutilation," Jareth was trying to stretch this metaphor. "This house, if you will, can never be torn down. How can one tear down a fire? It cannot be done." He paused for a short moment and then added, "Sarah and I will be together forever. Anyone who stands in my way will be destroyed."

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After dinner, Juliet retired for lack of anything better to do. She was almost asleep when she heard noises at the base of the tower. Afraid and intrigued, she got out of bed and went to her window. There was a man with dark hair trimming flower bushes on the ground below. Once she had been spotted the man yelled, "Jareth! In your old room again?"

She didn't know why, but she responded, "I'm not Jareth! I'm his daughter!"

"He never mentioned a daughter! Come down here, let's chat a while,"Juliet didn't know if she should trust him, but she descended the staircase and met the man in the garden just the same.

"Oh, I see now that you're a girl," the man said, blushing.

"I'm Juliet. What are you called?" she asked.

"I'm Goliath, duke of the goblin city. Jareth is my older brother," he responded. Juliet could see the resemblance. Goliath and Jareth were both very tall and thin, and they both had the same gaunt face. The only difference there were Goliath's eyes, which were both brown. They looked about the same age, but one could still tell that Jareth was older. Goliath had almost the same hair style as Jareth, but Goliath's was black. Where Jareth's eyelids were blue, Goliath's were purple.

"What are all these flowers?" she asked, reaching out to touch a white lily.

Goliath swiftly grabbed her hand. "Lilies bring instant death. I wouldn't lay a finger nail on them." He continued, "This is my garden. The roses are drugs, and the lilies are lethal. Red roses are aphrodisiacs, yellow roses bring strength, peach roses are sedatives, blue roses are for relaxation, black induces a coma-like state, white roses are stimulants, pink roses bring happiness. The most interesting ones are the orange and violet roses. They bring hallucinations, both frightening and enlightening, respectively."

"I wouldn't mind taking a petal from one of those peach roses. I'm having trouble sleeping," Juliet admitted.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he gave her a peach rose petal and promised, "I'll stop gardening for tonight. You must have had a long day, as I'm assuming this was your first day in the goblin city. So you're Jareth's daughter? I guess that makes you my niece."

Juliet put the rose petal in her mouth and it dissolved instantly. "Thank you. Well, it was nice meeting you, Uncle Goliath."

"It was nice meeting you too," he said as she walked back to the castle.

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A/N: To avoid confusion, you should know that I'm going by the assumption that time passes normally in the labyrinth. If you recall, Sarah's father was gone for five hours (they left at 7 o'clock and were home after midnight). After three hours in the labyrinth, Jareth sped the time up by at least five hours, making it quite possible that Sarah defeated him at midnight. Chapter 4 is my favourite so far. I'll post it within the next few days. By the way, I based Goliath's appearance from Peter Murphy of _Bauhaus_. I had a dream about Peter being a goblin, and I thought "Hey! I could use this in my story!"


	4. Only My Heart Talking

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm.

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Chapter Four: Only My Heart Talking

"I know you don't like cream and sugar in your coffee," Rosie said to Toby. He and his boyfriend Paul (whom Toby insisted must be referred to as his "partner") were having lunch with Sarah and Kenneth as a celebration of Paul's birthday. No one felt like celebrating; Juliet hadn't been seen since the evening before.

"Thank you, Rosie," Toby said, taking the coffee mug from her. He turned to Sarah. "Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"Know, we don't," Kenneth said before Sarah had a chance to acknowledge the question. "I kept telling Sarah we were too lax with that girl. I've been bracing myself for this since she started bleeding."

Sarah gave her husband a cold glance. "I'll talk to you about after lunch," she assured Toby.

"If she's anything like my stepsister, she's probably just hiding out at a friend's house," Paul said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Come now, you've seen my daughter. Does she seem like the type to have friends?" Kenneth said.

"That's an awful thing to say about your child!" Toby said.

"As awful as it may be," Sarah said, "it's true. Julie never brought any friends home, and she's hardly ever left the house. She never gets any phone calls. If she does have any friends, I've never heard her mention them."

"I'm very sorry," Paul said sincerely, "I know this must be a difficult time for you. I didn't mean to make it worse."

"I know you meant well. I hope this didn't spoil your birthday. How old are you now, anyway?" Sarah said.

Paul's eyes narrowed. "Never ask a lady her age!" he said jokingly. This made Sarah giggle. Sarah was glad Toby had a nice partner like Paul. She recalled him dating some boys when he was in high school whom Juliet would deem "complete wanks".

Sarah thought of a way to talk to Toby about the situation with no one else around. "Toby, would you mind hanging missing flyers with me later?"

"I'll come. You know how much I care about your kids, Sarah," Paul offered.

"I care about you, Paul, but I want to spend some time with my brother. After all, you live with him and I only see him about once a month," Sarah said kindly.

"That doesn't bother me. I hope you find her," Paul said.

-----------------------------------------

"Hey, don't hog them! I want to hang some!" Toby said. He snatched a small stack of papers from Sarah's arms. "Hey!" he exclaimed, "these are blank!"

"We're not really going to hang flyers. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where Juliet is," Sarah said.

"Where? You don't think she's in trouble do you?" Toby asked, his voice heavy with concern.

"If she's like me when I was her age, she very well could be," Sarah replied. "Do you remember those stories I told you when you were little?"

"The ones about the girl who went on a whimsical adventure in a magical kingdom to save her little brother?" Toby asked, setting the papers down.

"Where do you think those came from?" Sarah probed.

"I guess one of those books you used to read all the time," Toby said.

"They were true. It happened to you and me twenty-six years ago."

"You're not serious," Toby said. He was already upset about his niece disappearing, and now his sister had given him something else to worry about. She had always suffered with neurotic delusions, but to claim that they had gone on a story-book adventure was psychotic.

"I am! Just watch!" Sarah stood up straight and uttered the words, "I wish the goblins would come take us away right now!"

Almost instantaneously, the sky grew dark. The long, curvy driveway, perfectly green lawn, and astoundingly well sculpted topiaries disappeared in the blink of an eye and were replaced with an arid, hilly land overlooking an ominous maze.

"Welcome to the underground," Sarah said.

Toby couldn't believe his eyes. "We're supposed to find her in that?"

"I've solved this labyrinth before, and I can do it again!" Sarah said with all the swollen pride she had the first time she laid eyes on it. She began walking down the hill, and Toby followed in suit.

----------------------------

_I'm ever so bored..._ Jareth thought. He sat sprawled across his throne gazing into one of his beloved crystals. _Hello, what have we here?_ Turning the ball a different way, he saw two people trying to get into the labyrinth. They were one man and one woman. The man was of average height and weight, and he had his strawberry blonde hair in a practical cut. He wore a mint green golf shirt and tan slacks. The woman was tall and slender. She had long brown hair that shimmered in the sun. She wore a professional looking black skirt and a white blouse with a black floral pattern. Jareth would have recognized her anywhere.

"I think this is the way I went last time..." Sarah said.

"Your keen sense of direction has rendered us stranded!" Toby said.

"We are not lost! I just don't know where we are," Sarah retorted.

"That's why I'm here," the familiar voice said. Sarah spun around and became both afraid and overjoyed when she saw Jareth standing behind her. She didn't know whether to fling her arms around him or run away as fast as her slim legs would carry her.

"Oh, don't look so surprised to see me Sarah," he said devilishly. "You didn't think I'd let you leave my labyrinth this time without a goodbye kiss, did you?" He directed his eyes to the man standing next to her. "And you must be Toby. My, my, you've grown. Of course, one can't expect you not to; the last time I saw you, you couldn't even speak yet."

"What have you done with my daughter?" Sarah demanded with more courage than she had.

"I've treated her like a princess," Jareth said. "How is it that twenty-six years have passed since you visited my labyrinth, yet you're still every bit as youthful as you were when I first saw you?"

Sarah couldn't hear her thoughts over her own heart pounding. This was the man who had kidnaped her brother and now her only daughter, so why did she feel so drawn to him? _Because I love him,_ was her immediate answer. "Where is Juliet?"

"The last time I saw her, she was exploring my library. She is very much like you, Sarah," Jareth said, "and very much like me."

Sarah was shocked. She had always thought the same thing. What did it mean?

"You've probably forgotten by now," Jareth sighed.

"Forgotten what?" Sarah tentatively inquired.

"It would have been seventeen years ago, or close to it. Do you remember any odd dreams?" Jareth asked. To help jog her memory, he added, "Any...sensual dreams?"

Sarah's eyes grew so wide she thought they would pop out of her sockets and roll across the ground, like one of the fireys had done when she first saw them. "Yes," she whimpered.

"Did you happen to think the dream was uncommonly realistic?" he probed.

Sarah nodded.

"That's because it was...the whole thing. Juliet is my daughter." When Jareth finished speaking, Sarah struggled to suck down one sufficient breath before she failed and blacked out.

-------------------------------

"Sarah, wake up! Wake up!" Jareth insisted, gently shaking her. Her eyes fluttered open and she observed her surroundings. She was lying on a bed in a large bedroom with stone walls.

Without thinking, she hissed, "What did you do to me while I was unconscious?"

"Nothing," Jareth said innocently.

"What am I supposed to think? You've violated me in my sleep before!" Sarah reminded him, realizing fully how incorrect the statement was.

"You were awake the whole time. You only _thought_ you were dreaming. Need I add that you never did anything in protest?" Jareth said matter-of-factly.

"You're lying, you despicable, manipulative, horrible..." The angry words were replaced by Sarah sitting up quickly and pounding her fists into Jareth's chest. "I hate you! I _hate_ you! Do you hear me? I..." Her wailing ceased when Jareth took her into his arms. He held her close and tried to calm her down. He commenced gentle rocking back and forth on the soft mattress, which seemed to work. Sarah's breathing slowed and went back to normal. Eventually, she returned the embrace and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"But I only hate you because I love you," she whispered.

"I know," Jareth whispered back. "I want to give you a tour of the labyrinth. Maybe it will be easier for you to find your way back home."

---------------

"To an untrained eye, this merely looks like a wall," Jareth said. Sarah remembered this particular collection of brick. Jareth continued, "But if you try walking through it, you will discover it leads to a different path."

"Oh, she knows. I remember telling her just the other day," a familiar high-pitched and very chipper voice declared.

"I remember you!" Sarah said. "Though the last time I saw you was years and years ago."

"Is that so? Well, I lose track of time. I'm just a worm," the furry blue caterpillar chuckled.

"As I was saying..." Jareth was interupted.

"Come inside and have a nice cup of tea!" the worm offered.

"No thank you. We're quite all right," Jareth assured.

"I insist! Come in and meet the misses!"

"I believe I said no thank you," Jareth said irately. He took Sarah by the hand and led her down the path.

"This is the fastest way to the castle from the beginning of the labyrinth. Now that you've seen that, I'd like to show you some of my favourite places," said Jareth.

-------------------------

"This is incredible," Sarah whispered in complete awe. They were seated on a sofa that had been carved out of stone overlooking a peaceful lake. It wasn't very comfortable, but the ornate designs made up for that. "I didn't know there were places like this in the labyrinth."

"There aren't very many, and most of the time you can only find them when they want to be found," Jareth explained. He continued, "You know, Sarah, I've been thinking...no, never mind."

"What? What have you been thinking?" Sarah inquired.

"Just that, well...the way you make me feel used to anger me. It was almost like you had cast a spell on me. You told me once that I had no power over you, and I believe you were more correct than you meant to be. But after dwelling for years on what you said, I finally saw that you were the one with power over me."

"You're a bit mistaken, I'm afraid," Sarah said, "When I said that, I was only quoting a line from a book."

"That doesn't diminish the validity of the statement," Jareth pointed out.

"I suppose not..." Sarah wouldn't have been able to say another word if she tried. Jareth was caressing the side of her face and leaning in closer to her. Their lips met for the first time in over sixteen years, and every memory they shared came racing back. Unbeknownst to them, the worm and his wife were watching as the kiss became more warm and more passionate.

""Bout time his majesty found a queen," said the worm's wife.

"Maybe he'll be a happier man now, I do hope," the worm added.

"Oh my. I bet they wouldn't be doing that if they knew they weren't alone!" the worm's wife exclaimed.

"Somehow I don't think the king would be bothered," the worm said. He chortled at his own comment.

-----------------------------

"That's simply fascinating!" Toby said gleefully as Goliath explained the effects of each rose in his garden.

"He's far more enthusiastic than you were," Goliath told Juliet.

"Mind you, I was irate because I couldn't sleep when I first saw your rosebushes," Juliet reminded her paternal uncle.

"I'm so glad your mom and I found you. I was so worried," Toby told Juliet, reinforcing the statement with an American thump on the shoulder.

"How is she doing? The last I heard, Jareth...I mean Dad took her up to his room so she could recover from fainting," said Juliet.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Jareth said as he and Sarah strode up to the others.

"Julie!" Sarah exclaimed. As soon as she saw her daughter, she ran to her and trapped her in a desperate embrace.

"Oh, mum, I hope I didn't give you too much of a fright," Juliet said apologetically.

"I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to tell Kenneth," Sarah said.

As soon as Sarah finished talking, she heard the flutter of loose clothes announce Jareth walking away in a fit of jealousy that attempted to be controlled. Sarah wondered how she could have been so careless as to openly talk about her husband in from of him. Shortly after, she grew angry with the goblin king. After all, Kenneth was her _husband_, and Jareth was merely an admirer...no, more than that. Lover? Less than that. He was the man of her dreams, and both of them were victims of circumstance. There was no need to complicate more than that...for now.

"I think I'll go and visit with your father for a while longer," Sarah told Juliet before she briskly walked in the direction Jareth was headed.

After a moment of awkward silence, Juliet stammered, "I think I'll go back to my chambers. I have a lovely book that I'm reading..." She jogged back into the castle out of sight.

Goliath raised and eyebrow and gave Toby a devilishly playful look. "So it's just you and me, then?"

----------------------

"Jareth, I'm sorry for whatever it is I did to offend you. Will you please talk to me?" Sarah said.

Jareth sighed and stopped walking away. "It's not you. It's that bastard of a husband you have."

Sarah was compelled to tell him that Kenneth wasn't that bad, but she didn't want to provoke more envy. The best she could do was laughed dryly and say, "His parents were married when he was born."

"He doesn't deserve you. He speaks to you as if you were his slave, and if he strikes my daughter ever again, so help me, I will kill him," he said severely.

"Let's talk about something else. Tell me about your gardener," Sarah said.

Jareth was silent for a second or two before he spoke. "He's not my gardener. He's my younger brother. He just happens to keep a garden."

_"_Oh," Sarah said bashfully. "You never mentioned a brother."

"You never mentioned a husband," Jareth pointed out._ I don't want to be condescending with her..._ "But I think our brothers fancy one another."

Later that night, Jareth and Sarah shared a bath in Jareth's chambers. It was warm and relaxing, and the surface of the water was covered with red rose petals from Goliath's garden. Jareth had dreamt of this every night since he came to her seventeen years ago. Sarah was the only thing he ever wanted, and here she was, her flawless naked body clinging to his.

"Sarah," he began, "you know I'm the only man for you. I hate myself for letting you go the first time. I don't know what came over me when I let you go last time. I don't deserve another chance, but now that I have it, I won't let you get away again."

"I don't want to leave you, but I don't see any way around it. I have a family I have to care for. I have a job. I can't completely abandon my son..." Jareth stopped her pessimistic rationalizing with a seductive kiss.

"I want you, our daughter, and Toby to move here with me. I don't at all like the way Kenneth talks to her, and did you see Goliath and your brother today?" Jareth said when he stopped kissing her.

"I can't," Sarah said. Jareth took her into his arms and held her as close as he could without hurting her. Sarah added, "I'm married."

"You can get a divorce. I need you here with me," Jareth said.

"Are these petals from Goliath's garden?" Sarah asked as if this was the first time she'd noticed them.

"Indeed they are. Each colour has a different purpose. The yellow petals have healing properties. I fed them to you earlier today when you fainted. Let's play a guessing game," Jareth said. He went to the edge of the tub, reached over the side, and retrieved a small box. "If you guess what the red petals do, you get a chocolate."

"Hm...I don't know," Sarah said coyly, "Relaxation?"

"No," Jareth said playfully as he inched closer to her.

"I don't know," Sarah giggled as Jareth pinned her to the side of the tub. "Something to do with sex?"

"Close enough," Jareth said. He fed the chocolate to her, and she took a bite. She savoured the rich flavour.

"All right," Sarah said, "I'll go back tomorrow and file for divorce."

Jareth kissed her. "That's what I wanted to hear." He continued, "Before I met you, I wasn't capable of loving anyone. After I met you, I knew I could never love anyone else. I want, more than anything else, to know that you feel the same way. Before, I didn't give you choice, and you ran away from me. This time, I'm allowing you to make the decision. Will you marry me, and rule the goblin city at my side?"

"Of course I will!" Sarah said, wrapping her arms around him. For the first time in his life, a tear rolled down the goblin king's face, and a contented smile appeared on his face as the tear hit the surface of the water, sending ripples all the way to the edge of the bathtub.

------------------------

A/N: I just had to put the worm in this chapter. I love him! He's so cute! I kind of took a liberty with Sarah and Toby coming back to the Labyrinth. I used the idea that since they had gone before, they could know go whenever they wanted without Jareth taking them there. Sorry it took me so long to post this. I was having difficulty in uploading it.


	5. Poison

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm.

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Chapter Five: Poison

Jareth pulled a black leather glove over his hand. It was a warm and sunny morning in Goliath's garden. Jareth slowly closed his fist around the stems of five white lilies.

"Here," said he, "put some gloves on and give these to Kenneth."

"What will they do?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I was only joking," Jareth said. He walked to a pond a few meters away and cast the lilies into the water, causing fish to surface belly up. "But if you had given them to him, he'd be dead."

"I don't want to kill him!" Sarah said.

"I know," Jareth said, unable to mask his heartache, if he had a heart to begin with. A bit of it melted away when Sarah gave him a friendly hug.

"Don't worry. After a short while we won't have to mention his name ever again," she assured.

"I never intended to be possessive. My first concern is that you are happy. If you want to be with your husband, then I will not stop you. If I ever made you unhappy, I couldn't live with myself."

"Imagine, the once fearsome king has fallen slave to the affection of a woman," Sarah said as though she was quoting a book.

"I don't know why, but I can't bear to watch anyone harm you, and I do get paranoid. I'm worried Kenneth will hurt you. Though I do promise you this: If he does, I will hurt him," Jareth said with determination. "Dare I ask? Why did you ever marry such a cold, cruel man like him?"

"Do you really want to know?" Sarah asked.

"Of course," said Jareth.

"He reminded me of you," Sarah answered.

Sarah, Toby, and Juliet materialized in the front hallway of Sarah and Kenneth's modest mansion. It was still fairly early in the morning, which meant Rosie would be up, Kenneth would be enjoying sickeningly sweetened coffee, and Edward was probably still asleep.

"You don't think he'll be upset, do you?" Toby asked as they walked in the direction of the dining room.

"Who? Kenneth?" Sarah asked.

"Paul," Toby said. He felt foolish when he remembered that he hadn't told her. "I'm going to break up with him."

"You can't do that! Paul is such a sweet man!" Sarah said.

"You don't understand. Goliath is so..." Toby was at a loss for words. "I love him. I want to be with him forever. I want to live in the underground with him."

Sarah didn't bring to his attention how incredibly illogical it was that he was making this decision after only knowing Goliath for a day.

Once they entered the dining room, Kenneth was indeed enjoying his coffee. He was reading a newspaper, which is why he didn't know that anyone else was there until Juliet said, "Daddy, did you miss me?"

"Where have you been? Both of you! I demand an answer!" Kenneth said after putting the paper and the coffee down.

"You wouldn't believe us if I told you," Sarah said.

Kenneth crossed his arms. "Try me."

An awkward silence followed. Finally Kenneth said, "Juliet, I'll deal with you later. Go upstairs and read a book or something." Juliet obeyed. If this was going to get ugly, the cautious part of her said it wouldn't be wise to try to protect Sarah.

"Sarah, I need you to tell me the truth. Is there someone else?" Kenneth asked, pretending to be concerned. Sarah's silence was all the answer he needed.

"Ken, I still love you. Maybe I always will, but," Sarah decided she would be honest with him. The more he knew, the more willing he would be to get a divorce.

No one noticed Toby going upstairs to Juliet's room, as though the uncle and niece were waiting out a hurricane.

"Maybe? Is that all?" Kenneth said smugly.

"I've told so many lies without meaning to. That's only because I didn't know the truth myself," an metaphor was forming in Sarah's mind. "I've spun a web of masquerades, and everyone I know is a masquerader. We all disguised ourselves as something different..."

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Kenneth said. "This is utter rubbish."

"But it isn't. I lied to you, I lied to Juliet, I lied to Toby, Toby lied to Paul, I lied to Jareth..." Sarah went a bit to far with her explanation.

"Who is Jareth? How did you lie to everyone as you claim? What is going on, Sarah?" Kenneth said irately.

"Toby lied to Paul. He's leaving him for another man. Jareth is the man I have been seeing inconsistently since I was a teenager. I lied to him by never telling him I was married. I lied to you when I didn't tell you I was seeing him. But you have to understand, I didn't know!"

Sarah explained.

"How does one not know that they are seeing someone?" Kenneth condescended.

"I thought I dreamt the whole thing, but yesterday he told me it was all real," Sarah said.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Kenneth put his hands on her shoulders. "Sarah, forgive me. I didn't realize you were in this much need of help. I'll call a psychiatrist and schedule an appointment for him to speak to you."

"But it's all true! I'm not crazy!" Sarah insisted. "And there is one last thing I have to tell you." She took a deep breath and said with all the strength she had, "Jareth is Juliet's father."

Immediately, Kenneth's open palm met Sarah's face with stingingly strong force. Sarah put her hand over the sore, reddening spot on her face and offered her husband a cold, shocked stare.

Jareth angrily threw the crystal across the room, startling the goblins that were in the throne room with him. He had been watching the whole thing. When Kenneth struck her, he was engulfed in a wildfire of fury.

"I made Sarah a promise!" Jareth hissed. "I swore that if he hurt her, I'd hurt him. He will suffer for the way he's treated her!"

"Sarah, I didn't mean to," Kenneth said. She shot him a poisonous glance.

"I can't live like this. I want a divorce!" Sarah said.

The fury Kenneth felt a moment ago returned. "Finally we agree on something! How can I live with a trollop who sleeps with other men whenever my back is turned? How long have you been seeing him? _How long_? For as long as we've been married, maybe more?"

"I've only seen him twice since we've been married, and I thought the first encounter was a dream!" Sarah shouted the same way she used to at her stepmother when she didn't want to baby-sit.

"Confusing dreams with reality! You really are delusional!" Kenneth spat.

Sarah became the victor of this argument when she walked away. She climbed the stairs into Edward's room and tentatively stepped over the threshold.

"Mummy! You came back!" Her soft footsteps woke him, and he was happy to see that his mother was home safely. He leapt from his bed and flung his arms around her, and she returned the affectionate gesture with a warm, maternal embrace. "Is sissy home too?"

"Yes, but there is something important I need to tell you," Sarah said. Her heart sank. How to explain this to a child? After a divorce, it was customary for the children to go to the mother if the circumstances were correct. Sarah feared that the courts would deem her mentally incapable of raising children. She supposed she could act like the situation was normal as the judge decided which parent the children would go to, but that would take lying. She'd had enough of that. She knew that no matter what the courts decided, Juliet would run away and live with her and Jareth in the underground anyway. Edward didn't have Jareth's rebellious nature.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Daddy and I are getting a divorce. Mommy isn't going to live here anymore. Juliet is probably going to live with me. You can come too if you want."

Somehow the full severity didn't sink into Edward's young mind. Perhaps he was not well equipped enough to understand. "But can't I stay here with Daddy and Rosie?"

"Yes, but you could also live with me and Juliet if you want," Sarah said. If her only son wanted to be with his mother enough, she might act "sane" in court.

"But I want to stay with Daddy!" Edward said.

Sarah hugged him. "All right, you can stay here. I will come and visit as often as I can. You're such a brave little boy." _I can't do it,_ she thought, _I can't leave my son with that man!_

"So how did it go?" Sarah asked. Toby had just returned from breaking things off with Paul.

"He's just really worried about me," Toby said. "Can you blame the guy? I disappear for almost a day, and then I come back and tell him I can't see him anymore. For all he knows I got abducted by the mafia or something. He says he's scheduling me an appointment with a shrink. So how did your day go?"

"Edward thinks I'm abandoning him. Kenneth is scheduling a counseling appointment. Oh, Toby, how are we ever going to get through this?"

Toby gave his big sister a hug and said, "Don't worry. We will."

------------------------

A/N: I tried to emphasize in this chapter that Sarah is really the only person he feels compassion for. After rereading previous chapters, I realized I might have made the transformation from barbaric to gentle too abrupt. However, take into consideration that Jareth has had a couple of decades to figure out his feelings for Sarah. With this chapter, I tried to revive some of Jareth's cruelty.


	6. Why Trust You?

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm.

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Chapter 6: Why Trust You?

_What in God's name are they doing?_ Kenneth wondered as he watched Sarah and Toby talk outside. He stealthily opened the door and listened intently to what they were saying.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, why are Goliath and Jareth pretty and the rest of the goblins look like...goblins?" Toby asked.

_Goblins? Have they _both_ gone mad?_ Kenneth thought. _Mental illness must run in the family..._

"I don't know. I'll have to ask Jareth some time," Sarah said.

_So, this Jareth isn't human? Maybe _I'm_ going crazy. I must be hearing things._ Kenneth pondered.

"Ready to head back to the underground?" Toby asked.

_Not without me, you aren't!_ Kenneth raced back into the house and seized and iron fire stoker from the fireplace in the drawing room. He ran back outside as fast as he could. When he did, he heard Sarah utter the words, "I wish the goblins would come and take us away right now!"

Kenneth watched in horror as the sky grew dark and the familiarity of his front lawn faded into a hilly desert surrounding a labyrinth. _This can only mean one of two things,_ Kenneth thought to himself, _either Sarah's sane or I'm raving mad._ He followed them down the hill to the entrance of the labyrinth, making sure they didn't notice him. _Why am I carrying this?_ He wondered as he looked at the stoker. He had heard Sarah talking about mythology on several occasions, and he remembered that magical creatures were susceptible to iron. He wasn't totally convinced that Jareth was a goblin, nor that iron would hurt him if he really was. Although, if he really was in this strange place, then maybe everything Sarah had told him was true.

"I wonder where Hoggle is," Sarah said when she noticed the dwarf wasn't guarding the entrance.

"Who?" Toby asked.

"He's one of the goblins that lives here. He helped me find you twenty-six years ago. He is one of my best friends," Sarah answered. "We should go this way. Jareth showed me all of the labyrinth's shortcuts last night."

_Was that before or after you snogged him?_ Kenneth thought.

Within minutes, he had followed his wife and brother-in-law to an austere stone castle. He couldn't believe his eyes. Maybe Sarah wasn't crazy after all. Toby and Sarah started walking around the base of the castle until they unintentionally led Kenneth to a garden of flowers. There were two odd looking men standing over one of the many rose bushes.

When he heard footsteps, Jareth spun around swiftly. His face lit up when he saw Sarah, but his brow lowered when he saw someone following her.

"Sarah, who is this?" Jareth questioned.

Sarah turned around and gasped at what she saw. "Kenneth! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to save you, Sarah," Kenneth said.

"Save her from what, may I ask?" Jareth shuddered when he saw the iron stoker in Kenneth's hand.

"From you! How dare you desecrate my wife, and then kidnap her and my daughter?" Kenneth said.

"You are wrong in so many ways," Jareth said cooly. "For instance, I never desecrated Sarah. She surrendered herself of her own free will."

"You let her think it was a dream! Under any other circumstance, she never would have..."

Jareth interrupted, "And Juliet is my daughter. She asked that I take her away from_ you_. Sarah merely came into the labyrinth to search for her. There was no kidnaping involved."

Ignoring Jareth, Kenneth turned to face Sarah. "You're not in love with this freak, are you? You can do so much better! I love you, Sarah! This man doesn't deserve you! You still love me, I know it! Why can't you see that? I'll do whatever it is you want, just don't leave me for this circus trash!"

"I do love him! I love him more than words can say! If only you knew how good he's been to me, then you would think twice before making glib accusations!" Sarah said angrily. "I've loved him ever since I was a young girl."

"I've heard enough of this rubbish!" Kenneth exclaimed, holding the stoker forward as if it was a sword.

"Throw down your weapon and fight me like a man," Jareth said, toying with Kenneth as much as possible.

"Jareth, what are you getting yourself into?" Goliath warned.

"You'd do the same for Toby," Jareth observed.

Kenneth cast the stoker to the ground, where it landed with a loud _clang_. He raised his fists as though he was a boxer and said, "I don't trust you. You'll use your powers."

"Why would I do a thing like that when my physical strength surpasses yours exponentially?" Jareth asked. Kenneth tried to strike him in the face, but Jareth blocked it. "Come now, is that the best you can do?" Jareth asked provocatively.

"I can't watch!" Sarah cried, burying her face in Toby's shoulder.

She heard a fist connect with something, and Sarah quivered. "It's okay," Toby told her, "Jareth just got Ken in the stomach!"

Every time Kenneth took a swing at Jareth, he blocked it gracefully. The blocks were followed by even more graceful blows to Kenneth's torso and face. Jareth felt as though he was making a fool of himself fighting a human like this, but this man was vile. After all, he had sworn to protect Sarah and that anyone who got in his way would suffer.

"Had enough yet?" Jareth asked.

"Nowhere near!" Kenneth said, though he was bruised and bleeding in many places. _There is just no way to beat him,_ he thought, _He's faster, stronger, and smarter than me._ He tried to fight dirty and land a kick between Jareth's legs, but the king caught the human by his ankle and a loud crack was heard as he twisted it.

"Why don't you just give up?" Jareth asked, his tone made Kenneth feel pathetic.

He spat in Jareth's direction and limped away sulkingly.

"It's over," Toby told Sarah. Sarah carefully looked up and saw Kenneth inching closer to the stoker...

"Jareth, look out!" she cried.

Jareth spun around, only to face Kenneth holding the stoker. Before Jareth could get away, he drove it into the king's right shoulder. Jareth's cry of pain could barely be heard over Sarah's exclamation of, "Kenneth, how could you?"

Jareth gracefully waved his hand and Kenneth fell through the ground. "Damn," Jareth whispered hoarsely.

Sarah dashed to his side and took him into her arms. "Jareth, will you be all right?" she asked, holding back tears.

"Tut, tut, Sarah. Don't fuss over me," he said, clutching his wound. "I should have known he'd try something like that..." His eyes fluttered open and shut several times.

Goliath rushed to his brother's side. "He's been wounded by iron. We have to get him back to the castle right away!"

"I'll be fine," Jareth insisted before he blacked out. Goliath lifted him and hooked his arms under his brother's shoulders.

"_Help,_" Goliath told Sarah forcefully, which made her feel quite stupid for just standing and watching. She hooked her arms under Jareth's knees and followed Goliath to the entrance of the castle.

"OH, God, the smell!" Kenneth said, holding his nose. He didn't know how, but when Jareth waved his arm he miraculously landed in a swamp that smelled quite foul. He desperately looked around. There had to be a way out. The stench was making him gag. He felt his stomach contract and the inside of his mouth began to sweat. He turned his head and leaned over the side of the brackish water as his breakfast raced up his throat and landed in the muck of the bog.

His morale was revived when he saw a wooden bridge that led over a murky river. When he finished vomiting, he briskly walked towards it, trying to hold his breath. Salvation was near. Maybe if he was lucky, the bridge would even lead him back home. He soon found himself running to the bridge, dashing toward his escape from the awful smell.

Just as he was about to set foot onto the bridge, a small fox-like man leaped in front of him.

"Not so fast, sir!" he barked. "I have taken an oath: none may pass without my permission!"

"Get out of my way!" Kenneth said, trying to walk around him. The little fox sunk his teeth into Kenneth's shin.

"Not without my permission! Who are you? Speak, I say!" the guardian demanded.

"I am the husband of your king's mistress!" he responded, hoping that would gain him some clout.

"You? You are the one whom the king has denounced? I, Sir Didimus, will not allow you to cross this bridge which I have built!" Didimus jumped onto Kenneth's shoulder's and repetitively beat his head with his scepter. He bit and scratched, frustrating Kenneth even more.

"Brother! Brother Ludo! Help me!" Didimus requested. A large beast with orange fur stepped out from behind the same tree that concealed the fox knight. He let out an ominous howl and a parade of small stones rolled to his feet. He picked one up launched it at Kenneth's head.

"Ludo no like you," he grunted as he threw another rock. "Go away!"

Didimus jumped off of Kenneth's back. "Perhaps we can make a deal, sir. I will allow you to cross this bridge if you swear never to come back here again!"

Kenneth gagged again from the smell. "That's a deal," he said before he took off sprinting across the bridge.

Once he was one the other side, he saw a little man walking around a garden of topiaries with a watering can.

"Excuse me," Kenneth said, trying to get the man's attention.

The ugly little man turned to face him. "Who the hell are you?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm trapped here. Can you help me find my way out of this place?" Kenneth said.

"You didn't answer my question," he pointed out.

"My name is Kenneth, and..."

"You're Kenneth?" the little man said angrily. His face scrunched in fury. "You're the man the king proclaimed an enemy of the underground?"

"When was all this?" Kenneth inquired, confused.

"This morning. He said you want to hurt Sarah!" he growled.

"Who are you?" Kenneth demanded.

"I'm Hoggle! I'm Sarah's friend! I won't let you do nothing to harm her!" Hoggle shouted. "Tell you what, there's a bounty on your head here. I could use the money, but I'd rather see you leave and never come back. I know a shortcut out of the whole labyrinth from here. I'll take you back to the beginning if you leave Sarah alone!" Indeed, Hoggle did have an unrequited interest in the woman.

"All right. I'll go. Just help me," Kenneth said.

Sarah dipped the washcloth into the warm water again and gingerly patted Jareth's forehead with it after he wrung it out. He was sitting on his bed, propped up by otherwise useless throw pillows. His bare chest was only partially covered by a bandage of white gauze that ran around his right shoulder and across his ribs. It was an image that made Sarah want him. There was a small spot of blood on his bandage; Goliath had drawn out the poison the stoker had left.

The goblin king wriggled a bit as he regained consciousness. "Hm...it's funny. For a moment I thought I had died and you were an angel."

Sarah took his hand in hers. "Don't worry, Jareth. I'm here to take care of you," she said gently. She kissed him softly and rested her hands on the bare, sinewy deltoids of his shoulders. He placed his left hand on the side of her face as he returned the kiss.

"Is _that_ why I'm allergic to metal?" Juliet asked after her uncle Goliath explained about iron susceptibility.

"Most likely," Goliath responded.

"Will my father be all right?" she inquired.

"He should be fine by tomorrow. We're lucky we treated him properly so soon. Plus you're mum's a good nurse," Goliath said. He added, "And you're uncle Toby is a good..."

"I don't want to know," Juliet said.

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A/N: I really wanted to make the scene where Didimus attacks Kenneth to be longer, and I wanted Ludo to be in this chapter more, but when I tried to write them in it just didn't work. This is my favourite chapter so far. I tried to make Jareth as sexy as possible during and after his fight with Kenneth. I guess I'll know what you guys think when you review.


	7. Trash

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. All of the characters that appear in this chapter are the property of Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) and Lucasfilm.

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Chapter 7: Trash

Sarah came out of the bedroom looking relieved. "He's okay for now," she said.

"Good news. I'll take it from here, darling," Goliath said.

"Can I visit with him?" Juliet asked. "After all, he is my father."

"Why don't we all go in?" Toby suggested.

"No," Goliath shook his head, "He won't like so many people babying him. Juliet and I will stay with him. The both of you need to get some rest. I doubt you've had a very easy day."

Toby patted Sarah's arm and gestured for her to follow him. He had a feeling Goliath wouldn't let them win this argument.

Goliath opened the bedroom door and led Juliet in. Jareth sat on his bed, propped against a pillow with fresh bandages around his chest.

"How are you feeling, father?" Juliet inquired.

"Weak," Jareth admitted. "That bastard," he muttered.

"Try living with him," Juliet grumbled.

"My dear, I can see that you are vexed. Try as you might to hide it, a father can tell. In just the past two days you have not only learned that the man you were raised by is not your father, but you have discovered that your real father is the king of a world that reminds you of a fairy tale. Once you add that to the nature of your mother's relationship with Kenneth, you have several reasons to be stressed," Jareth said.

"You're right," Juliet sighed.

"Hoggle is a friend of your mother's. I'll tell him to take you on a guided tour of the labyrinth. Would you like that?" the goblin king suggested.

Juliet nodded.

"Stay by me," Hoggle said insistently. "Jareth'll kill me if you get lost." Juliet wasn't really paying much attention. She was drunk with the splendor of the labyrinth with all its changing ways and inconsistencies.

"My father said you and my mum are friends. How do you know her?" Juliet mused.

"I helped her find the center of the labyrinth before you were born. She's a very nice lady, and very pretty," Hoggle blushed. Juliet cocked an eyebrow at the dwarf's obvious interest in Sarah.

Hoggle was explaining the significance of every landmark they passed, but Juliet paid little mind. Everything looked so beautiful. The ivy growing up the sides of the stone walls, the way the roads and paths kept changing, and the strange local creatures captured her interest far more than a mere dwarfish tour guide could.

"Hoggle, what do these do?" she questioned, interrupting whatever the little man had been saying at the time.

"Don't touch those!" he grumbled. "As a matter of fact, don't touch anything! You can never be too careful in this place."

The items in question were a matt of ivy leaves that seemed to be covering another drab wall. Despite Hoggle's warnings, she was curious. His back was turned and he was slowly walking away (thinking Juliet was still behind him, no doubt) when she decided just to stroke one leaf.. Nothing odd happened as she tentatively ran her fingers across it. However, she did notice something peculiar. She pressed her palm against the curtain of ivy, and it gave way. There was no wall behind it. _So what is behind it?_ She wondered. Making sure Hoggle was far away, she stepped through the leaves.

Once on the other side, she found herself in a desolate wasteland that reminded her of a landfill. She turned to walk back through the ivy curtain, but it was no longer there. Fear gripped her was she cautiously took three steps forward.

"Hey, get off my bag!" she heard a gruff high-pitched voice command.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just..."

"Why don't you watch where you're going, young woman?" Juliet got a better look at the person she accidently bumped. She was a short, stout old woman with a massive rucksack on her back. Her face looked like a rotten apple and her hair looked like nothing more than a collection of cobwebs.

"Where am I?" Juliet asked.

"I've got a present for you, yes," she said almost songishly. From a fold of her tattered dress, the "junk lady" produced a stuffed lion doll. Juliet recognized it immediately. She had taken this doll with her wherever she went when she was a girl.

"Where did you get this?" Juliet inquired.

"It's all in here," the junk lady said, taking painfully slow steps forward. "Why don't you come in and see if there's anything else you like?"

Jareth still sat propped up on his bed in–though he'd be the last to admit it–sheer agony. In his left hand he held a crystal with which he was keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of his daughter. He gazed into the ball and saw an image of Hoggle wreathed in mist. Where was Juliet? Surely she was merely lagging behind, or she had skipped slightly ahead, but she couldn't be lost. However, the dwarf did seem to be looking around, searching for something... He waved his hand over the crystal, and the scene changed to the junkyard, where the keeper was leading Juliet into a shabby dilapidated cottage.

"GOLIATH!" he exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Jareth's dark-haired double burst through the doors. "What is it?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.

"Juliet's in the junkyard. I want you and Toby to go fetch her," he said cooly.

"Right away, sir," Goliath nodded before he left the room.

"This is my room!" Juliet said, flabbergasted. The junk lady led her through a run-down doorway, and on the other side was her bedroom.

"Of course it is, dear, what did you think it was?" the old woman said as she nosily rummaged through the girl's things.

"Am I really home?" Juliet questioned.

"Ooo, you have such nice things, sweetheart," the old woman mused. "Look at this! It's a little sock monkey! I know how much you love your sock monkey!" she placed the creature in front of Juliet. "And just look at all these Barbie dolls. I know how much fun you'll have with those! There you go," she chirped as she emptied an armful of said dolls at Juliet's feet.

"I've always thought these were such fun!" the junk lady exclaimed, marching an emu marionette across the room and once again dropping it in front of Juliet. "You must have been some kind of lucky child! Just look at all these toys!"

"Yes, there certainly are a lot of them," Juliet sighed.

"What a nice camera! You could have a good old time taking pictures with this!" she said, taking a snap shot of the still confused blonde girl. She placed it in Juliet's hand, who examined it quizzically. _It really is lovely, _she thought.

"All right," Goliath said, "This is probably where they went." After he opened the door, he found himself in a peach bedroom. "Where are they?"

"Hey, this is my old room!" Toby chuckled. "And these are all my old toys! I used to love these!"

Goliath rolled his eyes. "It's only an illusion," He looked in the mirror on the wall opposite him and saw the junk lady and Juliet. "That, however, is real." He marched up to the mirror and smashed it with his fist, creating a hole, more like a portal, that lead to what looked like Juliet's room. "Follow me," he instructed as be began to climb through. Toby did as he was told, and they both stood to face Juliet once they were through the portal.

"Time to go, precious," Goliath said, placing his hand on his hip.

"But I've only just arrived," Juliet protested.

"That's why we have to leave before you get too drawn in," Goliath replied.

"You can't make her leave now!" said the junk lady. "We're just having fun!"

"That's what concerns me," Goliath said, taking Juliet by the arm and leading her out the door.

Juliet still had the camera in her hand as they walked away. Toby glanced over at her and noticed the silver gadget. "Juliet, where did you get that?" he inquired.

"I had it with me when I came. I thought it might be fun to take some pictures of the labyrinth on Hoggle's tour," she lied. "I say, that is convenient that I can go back to my bedroom any time I want."

"Yes, that's what the junk lady would have you think," said Goliath. "It's only an illusion, and an intoxicating one at that. It's dangerous if you visit it too often."

"Well, the things she gave me were real enough," Juliet said, squeezing her camera a little tighter.

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A/N: At first it was going to be Sarah and Jareth rescuing Juliet, but I thought Jareth might still be too weak. Besides, I like the whole Goliath/Toby/Juliet as the three stooges. This chapter is pretty short, and I probably could have used more detail, but my creativity is all but drained. Goliath is one of the best characters I've ever made.


	8. I'm Your Gun

Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_. The characters in this story are property of Jim Henson and Lucasfilm.

Chapter Eight: I'm Your Gun

"Where is she? Is she safe?" Jareth demanded when he saw Goliath walk through the door. He bolted upright, which caused his reflexes to drag him back down to the mattress in a fit of pain.

"Yes. She and Toby are out in the garden," said Goliath. "When we found her, the junk lady had nearly..."

"Agnes," Jareth interrupted, "her name is Agnes."

"Very well, _Agnes_ nearly convinced Julie that she was indeed home in her bedroom. Toby and I got there just in time."

Jareth tried to sit again, but he was careful to keep his pain to a minimum by rising slowly. "Just a trifle inquiry, but...do you fancy Toby?"

Goliath's pale face was painted a feminine shade of pink. "Yes," he said tentatively.

"I thought as much," Jareth grinned. "Send Juliet here with me. I want you to do yourself a favor. Take Toby for a proper tour of the Labyrinth, and enjoy some time away from me."

Goliath nodded. "Yes, brother, I will." He did as he was told, and left the room. He strode bashfully down the corridor, his high-healed boots _clacking_ on the stone floor. He found the vast wooden door and forced it open. He turned the corner of the outer wall and saw Toby and Juliet puzzling over a patch of clover blossoms in the garden.

"What are you doing?" he inquired. His voice startled his niece and her uncle, and they both jolted as they turned to face the black-haired goblin duke.

Toby was the first of the two to speak, "Juliet was just about to show me how to make a crown of clover blossoms, but we decided it wasn't a good idea to touch them because we didn't know what effects they might cause."

Goliath shook his head and smiled. "They are harmless. And, Juliet, I'd love to learn how to make a crown from them. But not now. Your father wants to see you."

"Very well," Juliet said. She walked away gracefully.

"She's something else," Toby mused.

"She is indeed. And I've only known her for a few days," Goliath agreed.

"You know, when she was little she tried to convince Sarah she was Cinderella. That girl is her mother all over," Toby laughed.

"She's a lot like Jareth too," Goliath pointed out. "Toby, I can't help but wonder. How are you feeling...I mean, how well are you adjusting to..."

"This situation? I'm not sure. It's bizarre. The past few days have been pretty exhausting. First my niece disappears, then I find she's been hiding out in a fairytale world that I only knew from the bedtime stories Sarah used to tell me...It's a lot to swallow."

"I can't fathom what you're going through, Toby, and I know it's worse for your sister and Juliet. You should know I am here for you though," Goliath offered.

"Thanks," Toby said, blushing.

"Now, come along! The Labyrinth tends to become a little less menacing once you know your way 'round," Goliath said.

"You want to show me around the Labyrinth?" Toby inquired.

"Come on, it will be fun!" Goliath insisted, dragging Toby by the arm.

Goliath hadn't lied. Toby very much enjoyed their little tour. When they returned to the castle, the setting sun painted the earth soft shades of peach and pink.

"Toby," Goliath began, "I have a confession to make."

"What would that be?" Toby asked quizzically.

"I'm...interested in you, I guess that's how you'd say it in your world," Goliath admitted. He imagined it took more courage to say that than it would take to slay a dragon.

"Oh...I," Toby began. He ran a hand through is sandy hair, the way he always did when he was nervous, "I don't know what to say."

"Just say I exist and you don't hate me," Goliath said, trying not to plead.

"Goliath, you're my friend. This is probably the closest friendship I've ever made in such a short amount of time. But..."

"But what?" Goliath urged.

"I've only known you for a few days, and I have a boyfriend back home," Toby said.

"I understand. You are right, of course. It's not logical," Goliath agreed, though Toby had unintentionally hurt him.

"Are you okay with that?" Toby asked, concerned.

"Of course!" Goliath said, all weakness fleeing.

"Of course I wasn't 'okay with it'!" Goliath exclaimed as he changed Jareth's bandages. He had just finished telling his brother the story. "Truthfully, that's the response I expected, but somehow hearing him say it just..." The goblin duke snorted in aggravation. "Jareth, how do you know if you love someone?"

"That's certainly a difficult thing to tell," Jareth commented. "It took me nearly a decade to decide I was in love with Sarah. I knew because I hated her, but I hated hating her...does that make sense?"

"Sense enough," Goliath replied. "How did you win her?"

"I haven't won her yet," Jareth said gravely.

"I just want Toby to know the depth of my adoration," Goliath said.

"As I live and breathe, I never thought I'd see the day!" Jareth said, stifling painful laughter. "The fearsome goblin princes have fallen victim to the claws of love!"

"And maybe Toby is right. We've only known each other for a few days..."

"Be patient, and listen to your heart," Jareth said sarcastically.

"You know as well as I that neither of us have hearts," Goliath retorted.

"I've made you suffer for long enough. Send for Sarah," Jareth ordered.

"Actually, brother, I think you are well enough to stand again," Goliath observed.

"I could try, but if I reopen my wounds, then you'll be the one bedridden and in agony!" Jareth replied.

Goliath wrapped his right arm around his brother's shoulders and lifted him into an upright position. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

"A little," Jareth admitted. Goliath proceeded to hoist his brother from the mattress, and the goblin king cried out in pain.

"Sorry, sorry! Don't kill me!" Goliath pleaded. "Let's try that more slowly this time."

Jareth pressed his palms flat against the mattress and slid to the side of the bed. Inch by inch, he scooted to the edge and slung his legs over the side. He placed his feet firmly on the floor, and (with Goliath's help) he stood for the first time since the day before.

"Are you sure it's not to soon for this?" Jareth demanded.

"Just stay close to a wall and don't try to walk too far, especially not without aid," Goliath said gingerly. He knew how much his brother detested being babied.

"I shall commit your orders to memory," Jareth said snippily.

"Uncle Toby! Did Goliath tell you Daddy can walk again?" Juliet said with uncommon awe.

"Daddy?" Toby said quizzically. "You've only known him for a few days and you're already calling him Daddy? That's not like you."

"After all, why not? He is my father. Might I add, I've grown closer to him in these past few days than I did with Kenneth after sixteen years," Juliet stated.

"I suppose that's true," Toby said. "Speaking of Goliath, where is he?"

"I don't know," Juliet confessed.

"Toby," a deep voice startled both the uncle and niece, "I haven't seen you since you were a baby, and you've barely spoken to me!" The voice was unmistakably Jareth's. When Toby turned, he saw the blonde king leaning against a nearby wall.

"My apologies," Toby said.

"You know," Jareth said, "my brother is most infatuated with you."

"I noticed," Toby blushed.

"How sweet! Wouldn't that be odd, if both my uncles ended up together?" Juliet giggled.

Toby playfully poked his niece's nose, the way he used to when she was a small child. "It would be odd, my dear, and you forget one thing. I have a boyfriend. I'm dating Paul!"

"So what? Your sister has a husband, and yet she's leaving him for me," Jareth pointed out.

"Yes, but Kenneth is a jackass! I know that's not the most eloquent way to put it, but he is! Paul is a great guy! The best I've met!" Toby said.

"Whatever," Jareth said in his usual stately manner. Leaning heavily against the wall, he walked away.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" a chipper voice announced.

Goliath grumbled and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. He heard the most frightening sound in the world: drapes being dramatically and swiftly pulled open. The burst of sunlight might have blinded him if it hadn't been for the pillow shielding his eyes. He suddenly realized who was in his room. "Toby?" he asked drowsily.

"The very same! Now open your eyes!" Toby commanded.

Goliath slowly rolled over on to this back and sat up, his eyes still closed. He gradually opened them and gasped in horror at what he saw. "What have you done to my room?"

"I tidied it!" Toby said gleefully. "Tidied" was an understatement. The cobwebs were gone. The floor was visible. There was no more clutter around the doorway or the bed. If that was not enough, there were flowers strewn about the chamber.

"Why in the world did you do this?" Goliath muttered, rubbing his gaunt face in his hand.

"Because your room looked so dreary!" Toby said.

"My life is dreary. Wait a tick, how did you even know what my room looked like?" Goliath said.

"Jareth showed me. I was going to leave you some flowers and go, but I couldn't stand the way the room looked!" Toby added, "And every day looks dreary when you have the curtains shut!"

Goliath groaned and fell back to his pillow.

"Oh no you don't!" Toby exclaimed, rushing to the bedside and grabbing the duke's arm. "Juliet said she wants us to spend the day with her!"

"Jareth,"Sarah said, sitting next to the goblin king on the mattress, "Now that you're well again, I'm afraid I have to leave the Labyrinth for a few days."

"Whatever for?" Jareth inquired, not ready to let her go, even for a short while.

"I'm divorcing Kenneth. I'll have to go back until everything is settled," Sarah replied.

Jareth's face fell. "Sarah, let's be realistic. I think you're doing the right thing, but is it for the right reason?"

"Yes. I'm doing it for me. Kenneth treats me horribly," Sarah said. She continued, "You know, I always looked down on couples who divorced...I guess it's because I wanted my mom to come back so badly when I was little, I resented my parents for not trying harder to make their marriage work."

"You've never told me about your parents, Sarah," Jareth replied.

"My mom was a stage actress. She was almost never home, and my dad pretty much took care of me himself when I was very small. They got a divorce when I was seven. I blamed my dad back then, but the older I got, the more I realized it was probably Mom's fault. Dad doesn't talk about it much, but I'm almost sure she was unfaithful to him, and he's even implied she had a drug habit. It wasn't long after my parents split up that my mom landed a part in the chorus of a Broadway musical. As far as I know, she left for the national tour, and never came back. I don't even know where she is now. A Hallmark card every birthday and Christmas until I was sixteen is all I've heard from her."

"I'm sorry," Jareth muttered, not knowing what else to say.

"I don't know," Sarah sighed, "I just...am I the only one who thinks 'happily ever after' is worth a few sacrifices?"

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A/N: Finally, the eighth chapter which has been unfinished for three years. Shortly after I stopped regularly updating this story, I started to dislike the ending I had planned. I'm toying with a few ideas, but I'm still unsure exactly how I want the next two chapters to pan out.


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